Hanger for shock-absorbers.



E. FLENTJE.

HANGER FOR SHOCK ABSORBERS.

APPLICATION man ocT. 30. 1914.

Patented Apu 27, 1915.

Wnesses. Invenor.

Erns flen'je by wwlmzw ERNST FLENTJE, 0F CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS.

HANGER FOR SHOCK-ABSORBERS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 27, 1915.

Application filed October 30, 1914. Serial No. 869,469.

T0 all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ERNST FLENTJE, a citizenof the United States, residing at Cambridge, county of Middlesex, Stateof Massachusetts, have invented an'Improvement in Hangers forShock-Absorbers, of which the following description, in connection withthe accompanying drawing, is a specification, like characters von thedrawing representing like parts.

This invention relates to hangers for shock absorbers, and it has forits object to provide an improved hanger 'mechanism forv connecting theshock absorber to the chassis and axle of an automobile, which hangermechanism is `so constructed thatl it can be applied without difficultyto anyone oi a variety of makesof automobiles, thus .obviating thenecessity of special hangers being designed for each different kind ofautomobile. l

In order to give anunderstanding of my invention, I have illustrated inthe drawings a selected embodiment thereof which will' now be described,after which the novel features of the invention will be pointed out inthe appended claims.

VFigure, 1 is a view of the shock absorber andthe hanger therefor, saidview showing in section the girder or side member of the chassis towhich the hanger is secured, and showing also a portion of the axle;Fig. 2 is a view similar'to Fig. 1 looking at right angles thereto; Fig.3 is a side view of the upperv hanger member; Fig. 4.is a section on theline :v -ai, Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is a section on the line y-Jj, Fig. 2. Fig.6 is a section on the line c-a, Fig. 5.

I have shown at 100 a shock absorber of the dash-pot variety whichcomprises a cylinder 1 connected at its lower end to the axle 2 of theautomobile and having oper ating therein a piston, the piston rod 3 ofwhich is connected at its upper end by a suitable hanger to the sidesill 4 of the chassis. vrThe shock absorber herein shownIhangermember.9V that is connected to theis substantially like thatillustrated in my` Patent No. 1,045,136, dated November 26, 1912. Theupper end of the piston rod is provided with an eye 40 which is swivelcdto 'a staple 5 Vcarried by the upper hanger member 6 that is connectedto the portion 4 of the chassis. The lower end of the cylinderl isalso'pro'vided with an eye'7 that is swiveled to a staple 8 carried bythe lower axle 2. Both hanger members 6 and 9 are designed so that theycan be readily applied to the side sill 4 and axle 2 of different kindsand sizes of automobile. In nearly every automobile now manufactured thechassis is constructed with a channel-shaped side sill, but` the sidesof the channel member vary with different styles and makes ofautomobiles. Similarly the front axle of most automobiles has an 1-beamshape, but the size and dimensions vary in different kinds ofautomobile. My improved upper hanger G is of such a construction that itcan be applied to the channel-shaped side sill of the chassis regardlessof the size thereof,

and the application of the device tothe side sill necessitates drillingonly a single hole through said side sill. The hanger member 6 isprovided with an upright body portion having two transversely-extendingflanges 10 'and 11 which are spaced apart to provide a groove 12 of asize to receive the leg or flange 13 of the channel member 4, thisgroove being of a sulicient width to receive the iange 13 of the largestchannel member usedy in automobile construction. The

` hanger 6 is also provided with two vertically-extending ribs 14, oneat each side thereof, and with the overhanging portion or head 15 towhich the staple 5is secured in usual manner. The ange 10 is providedwith a set-screw 16 which extends vertically therethrough and is adaptedto be clamped against the upper face of the channel-iron iiange 13 whenthe hanger is in place. The hanger' is also provided with an opening 17to receive a clamping bolt 18 which extends throughy the channel-ironand hanger member, a spacing sleeve 19 of proper length being preferablyplaced about the bolt 18 between the channel member and the hangerdevice.

In applying the hanger to the chassis the measurement of thechannel-iron member 4 is taken and then slots 20 are led or otherwisecutrin the fianges 14 at a proper distance from thcl groove 12 toreceive the lower leg 21 of the channel member 4 of the particularautomobile to which the device 1s to he applied, and a hole is thendrilled through the channel member 4 to receive the bolt 18. The hangermay then be secured in place. to the channel member 4, and when thussecured it is provided with means which emchannel member by the clampingbolt 18. The set-screw 16 takes up any loose play between the leg 13 or'the channel member and the groove 12 and together with the clamping bolt18 holds the hanger firmly secured to the channel member. Since thehanger member is made without the slot 20 cut therein, it is possible toapply the hanger to the channel member of any automobile by simplyforming in the ribs 14 the slots 2O at the proper distance from thegroove 12 to receive the edge of the channel-iron. The lowerhanger 9 isalso vconstructed to be secured to an I-beam member of any size. Thishanger member 9 is provided with a portion 22 to which the staple 8 issecured and with a head portion 23 having two jaws 24 and 25 formingbetween them a groove 26 to'receive the flange 27 of an VI-beam, the jaw25 extending beyond vthe jaw 24 and engaging the under side of theI-beam. This jaw 25 has a greater extent transversely of the hanger thanthe jaw 24, and it carries two set-screws 28 that vare adapted to bescrewed against the underside of the I-beam to taire up loose play. Thelower hanger member also includes a clamping member 29 having a shape toembrace the other flange 30 of the I-beam and means for tightening theclamping member to cause said member and thehead 23 to firmly grip thelower flanges of tha-beam member. .The means herein shown is'a clampingbolt 31 which extends through an aperture in the lower end of theclamping member 29 and through a lug 32 depending from the clampingmember 9, said clamping bolt carrying anut 33 by which it may be clampedtight. The groove 26 is sufficiently large to receive the liange 27 ofI-beams of different sizes-and any loose play is taken up by theset-screws 28. The clamping bolt 31 permits the clamp-v ing member 29 tobe adjusted diiierent distan-ces from the head 23, thus enabling thedevice to be applied to I-beams of different sizes. I will preferablylplace a spacing device 34 between the lug 32 and the clamping member 29,which spacing device will fill the space between said member and lugwhen the device is firmly clamped to the I-beam' member. I find itconvenient to use washers for this spacing device because any desirednumber of washers can be used to fill the space.

A hanger having the above construction can bereadily applied to anyautomobile and firmly secured thereto and thus one type of hanger willanswer for various types of automobiles. 4

The loop and staple connection 7, 8 between the shockv absorber and thelower hanger member 9 is intended to provide the necessary flexibilitybetween these parts to vprovide for the movement of the automobilebody.. It is very desirable, however, that therel should be no lost playat this point, for otherwise there will be a constant noise or rattleproduced. In order to provide the necessary flexibility withoutl anylost motion, I propose to employ a seat member 35 which rests on theportion 22 of the lower hanger member and which is providedv with arounded seat 36 in which the lower end of the loop 7 rests, this seatmember having a slight movement laterally on the portion 22 of thehanger to allow for the relative movements of the loop 7 and hanger. vIpreferably form this seat member of bronze or some composition whichwill provide a wearing surface for the iron loop 7 that will require nolubrication, and said seat member is formed at its opposite sides withthe recesses 37 in which the sides of the staple 8 are received, asshown clearly in F ig. 5, these recesses beingularge enough to allow acertain amount of lateral movement of the seat member on the portion 22in both direc tions. With this construction I find that the staple canbe set up tight by means of its nuts 38 thereby preventing any lostmotion in a vertical direction between the loop 7 and staple 8 andthereby obviating all noise and rattle and yet have asutlicientlyflexible joint at this point which will allow the rela.- tive movementsvbetween the shock absorber and its lower hanger which inevitably occursas the automobile body moves relative to the.

9 is clamped tightly thereagainst, and the contact of the seat memberwith iron produces lmuch more frictional resistance than willbe producedby introducing the plate 55 between the seat member and the portion 22.

In the construction herein illustrated the r piston rod 3 extendsthrough astuffing box 400 having a cap 41 secured thereto which bearsagainst a spring 42 that in turn acts against the packing, not shown,all as illustrated in my former Patent No. 1,045,136. The piston rod isalso shown -as inclosed in a flexible casing or boot 43 which isconnected at one end to the cap 41 and at the' other end to the upperend` of the piston rod. It sometimes happens that this boot or casingbecomes broken and that the dust or dirt to which the device issubjected accumulates on the cap and on the piston rod and tends to wearthe aperture through the cap so as to allow some loose play. To obviatethis, I provide the cap 41 with a bushing 45 which is removably securedto the-cap and which projects therethrough, and the up-y ,15

per e'id 46 of which isl beveied, as shown, this beveled end acting as adefiector to clean or scrape oli the dirt or dust accumulating on thepiston rod as the latter descends and d eect said dirt outwardly awayfrom the piston rod. This prevents the dirt from accumulating in acorner and being drawn into the aperture in the cap by the downwardmovement of the piston rod. Any wear which occurs will be received bythis bushing 45, and when it becomes worn so that it is unfit forfurther use, it can be readily taken out from the cap 41 and a newbushing put in its place.

lVhile I have illustrated herein a selected embodiment ot' my invention,I do not wish to be limited to the constructional features shown.

I claim:

l. A hanger member for a shock absorber comprisin a body portionprovided at its upper en with an overhanging head to which the shookabsorber is secured and also provided with two transversely-extendingflanges forming between them a groove to receive one leg of achannel-iron member, said body portion being provided below said flangeswith two vertically-extending ribs having notches to receive the lowerleg of the channel-member, and means to clamp said hanger to saidmember.

2. A hanger member for a shock absorber comprising a body portionprovided atits upper end with an overhanging head to which the shockabsorber is secured and also provided with two transversely-extendingflanges forming between them a groove to receive one leg of achannel-iron member, said body portion being provided below said iangeswith two vertically-extending ribs having notches to receive the lowerleg of the channel-member, means to clamp said hanger to said member,and a set-screw carried by one of said transverse fianges to take uploose play.

3. A hanger for shock absorbers comprising a member having alaterally-extending portion to which the shock absorber is secured andpresenting at one end a head having two jaws to embrace the flange of anI-beam axle member, one of said jaws carrying set-screws, a clampingmember adapted to embrace the other flange of the I-beam member, andmeans to clamp said clamping' member to the head.

Li. A hanger for shock absorbers comprising a member having alaterally-extending portion to which the shock absorber is secured andpresenting at one end a head having two jaws to embrace the flange of anI- bcam axle member, one of said jaws carrying set-screws, said hangermember also having a downwardly-directed lug, a clamping memberconstructed to embrace the other flange of said I-beam axle member, aclamping bolt extending through said clamping member and said lug, andspacing means between the lug and clamping member.

5. A hanger member for shock absorbers provided with means by which itcan be secured to the axle of an automobile and also provided with alaterally-extending portion, a staple carried by said portion and towhich the eye of' a shock absorber is swiveled, and a seat memberresting on the hanger member and having a curved seat on which said eyerests, said seat member being held in place by the staple but capable ofhaving slight lateral movement thereon.

6. A hanger member for shock absorbers provided with means by which itcan be secured to the axle of an automobile and also provided with alaterally-extending portion, a staple carried by said portion and towhich is swiveled the eye of a shock absorber, and a seat member restingon the hanger member and having a curved seat on which said eye rests,said seat member having recesses in opposite sides in which the arms ofthe staple are received, said recesses being of sufficient size topermit a slight lateral play of the seat member.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

ERNST FLENTJE.

Witnesses:

LOUIS C. SMITH, THOMAS J. DRUMMOND.

